Red Bull Youth Academy Goes Free

By: Laurie | January 22nd, 2008

In a very hopeful precedent for US soccer, the New York Red Bulls are making their youth academies free to all participants.

[YOUTH] Players selected to the New York Red Bulls youth academy teams will play cost-free. “We believe by eliminating the cost barrier, top players will be able to develop within our program with a goal of someday playing on the first team for the New York Red Bulls,” said RBNY Academy Director Bob Montgomery.

“Top soccer talent will only have to be selected to the program by our world-class coaching staff, said Montgomery. “Beyond that, all of the participation costs will be handled by Red Bull.”

This makes so much sense, you have to wonder why it hasn’t been done before. The traditional structure always seemed unfair to me. First the player has to be good enough to qualify for a youth academy — no easy accomplishment — and then the parents have to come up with some way to pay for it, to the tune of thousands of dollars a year.

This new policy changes things and makes it that much easier for the MLS to benefit from the skills of the most talented players. As opposed to just the players who can afford the training.

According to Soccer by Ives:

This decision will make the Red Bulls the first MLS team to [run free academies.] (A source in Chicago tells me the Fire’s program is free but I haven’t gotten confirmation on that. Chivas USA doesn’t charge for its highest age levels, but does charge for U-15 and below).

The standard structure for MLS youth programs has been similar to traditional youth programs, where players pay fees and costs to be a part of the club as well as travel costs for tournaments, but now the Red Bulls have become the first pro club to waive these fees and pick up all costs for all players.

This move by Red Bulls is, at last, a recognition of the fact that the teams are going to be the ones to benefit when the most talented players are the ones getting the best training, regardless of their ability to pay.

Let’s hear it for Red Bulls for putting US player development ahead of instand profit.